On Thursday, the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) hosted the Lilian Ngoyi memorial lecture at the Lebowakgomo Civic Centre. However, the event was interrupted when President Cyril Rampahosa had to be escorted away by presidential protection unit agents.
Potential Covid-19 complications “posed a grave security risk”
ANCWL deputy president, Sisi Ntombela, was the programme director and explained that a group gained access to the venue without undergoing the proper Covid-19 screening.
And as a result, these people then posed a “grave security risk”.
“Given the recent events that have befallen our country [the burning of Parliament and the attack on the Constitutional Court precinct], we cannot take risks with the life of the president.”
And according to Ntombela, not all Covid-19 regulations were followed at the lecture as no social distancing was in place.
“Women, as I earlier indicated, we need to respect ourselves because if we don’t, no one will. It’s too late to do the screening process again and try and adhere to social distancing.”
And after engaging with the presidential protection unit, the ANCWL were the ones who deemed the event unsafe.
The ANCWL tried to adhere to all regulations
It is said that, even before President Ramphosa arrived, the ANCWL leaders kept reminding those in attendance to adhere to regulations. It was later added, however, that the size of the venue made it extremely difficult to keep the social distancing rule.
Ntombele did confirm, however, that the number of people that attended the lecture was in “accordance to the limit of 1 000 people allowed indoors.”
And after the meeting came to an abrupt end, a mix of police personnel and ANC provincial leaders gathered for a debriefing.
